I am newly back into trapping after a 30 year break. Learning a lot here just watching and reading. I have seen several videos and books that advocate using in-line springs on coyote traps. I will be setting out my coyote line in a week or so using MB550 4coil offsets.

I like them. They help take some power from the yote to prevent stake pumping. All my k9 traps are 550 and 650 offsets. When I buy them I cut the chain and and 2 mb crunch proof swivels and a shock spring. I love the setup.

I use double rebar stakes and check every 24 hrs so i dont see the need for the added expense. It seems the shock springs would depend on your staking system and your length of chain set up and type of trap used. I use offset blake & lamb, victor, and sleepy creek longsprings so the yotes are not going anywhere but in the back of the truck. My 2 cents.

I use them - I've got two kinds. The JC Connor springs are way nice and stronger. The 2nd kind I have are very weak and probably don't do much good. I don't think I'll bother putting them on any coyote traps in the future. Just run a little pan tension and get good pad catches and you'll be ok (in my opinion)

I have them on all my land traps and started with the pits and now have all JC Connor tbar springs. It helps take some of power out of their pulls and it also should help reduce damage to animals shoulder. They don't get in my way when I bed my traps actually I put it under the loose jaw and use it to help stabilize it.

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Let us so live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.

This is my first year and I ran the mb450 with the (PIT) spring. I agree with above statements of it being harder to bed the traps. I got two yotes so far and love the setup. Worth the extra 2 minutes to bed IMHO. Thinking of making the switch to mb550 but I still will run a spring setup. Maybe its just me but I feel any advantage I can have in order to retain my catch I will use. Then again remember I am a rookie and the two I caught might have been dumb luck.

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Live life now! Because all good things come to an end.

advantages= if toe caught the spring helps, anchor weak or soil giving way due to moisture, less damage to animal as far as pumping and pulling

disadvantage=cost,extra hardware,little more time,bedding headache

as you already know there are so many variables in canine trapping. i have found that if its not absolutely essential , i dont use it. Now that doesnt mean it doesnt work, it means theres a method to the madness.

i have used them....i will use them again....most of the time , i dont , when i do, i go j.c connor and when it gets weak i use them on sets where i construct and expect fox to hit them due to the non compairable strength pulls.

essential...no help.....sure

try them and you make the call. i have alomost given up on researching equiptment. ALL ends the same and comes down to only one opinion that matters.............YOURS!

Dont think I need to add to the advantages/disadvantages with all the replies,seems covered. I use them on all my coyote traps and they can be a pain to bed under the trap. The last few sets Ive put in, I just cut a small trench with my hatchet(just big enough for the chain/spring) going off to the side of the trap bed and anchored it there...saved a lot more time then dealing with getting it under the trap just right and getting the trap to bed solid(also didnt use up nearly as much waxed dirt doing it that way).

my question for all u shock spring users is, how many of u are using good quality earth anchors vs. rod stakes? and for those of u using earth anchors, how many of u have issues with coyotes pumping them up and out?

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"....it's been making me lonesome, onory, and mean". www.derricks-nm.com

my question for all u shock spring users is, how many of u are using good quality earth anchors vs. rod stakes? and for those of u using earth anchors, how many of u have issues with coyotes pumping them up and out?

All I use is the fox hollow chain stakes and so far it's never been any problem. If the soil is that loose I will cable to a tree if possible or keep looking for another spot. Only problem I've had is getting them back out of the ground, and that isn't too bad with 4wheeler winch.

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Let us so live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.